Public Defender Offices by City

Public Defender Offices by County

About Public Defender Offices

What is the difference between a Public Defender and a Court-Appointed Lawyer?

Public Defenders are essentially employees of a public agency whose mission is to represent indigent defendants. Court-Appointed Lawyers are private practice attorneys that are contracted to provide representation to indigent defendants. Court-Appointed Lawyers may be utilized in cases where the Public Defender does not have the capacity to take on additional cases or where there is a potential conflict of interest for the Office of Public Defenders. Sometimes, the term Court-Appointed Lawyer is used to refer to both Public Defenders and private practice attorneys.

What are Community Defender Organizations?

Community Defender Organizations are non-profit defense counsel organizations that are funded by the federal judiciary. They provide legal representation to the poor as an alternative to Federal Public Defender Offices in some U.S. Districts.

How does a defendant qualify for a Public Defender's representation?

The court will determine whether a defendant qualifies based on their income level. The defendant may be required to provide financial documents and cost estimates from one or more attorneys in order to demonstrate an inability to afford representation.